Mowing-machine.



J. G. FAHR.

MOWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocnzr. 19M.

1,229,248, Patented June 12, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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J. G. FAHR.

MQWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. 1914.

1,229,24a' PatentedJune 12 1917.

m 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- J. G. FAHR.

MOWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. 19M.

Patented June 12, 1917.

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n 51:: cm. pnomuma. WASHING STAB 'JOI-IANN GEORG- FAHR, OF GOTTMADINGEN,GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM F MASCHINENFABRIK FAHR A.G., OFGOTTMADINGEN, GERMANY.

MOWING-IVIACI-IINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, ten.

' Application filed October 27, 1914. Serial No. 868,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHANN GnoRe FAHR, a citizen of the German Empire,residing at Gottmadingen, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mowing machines, and moreparticularly in grass mowing machines provided with mechanism forlifting the cutting apparatus and turning the same up in verticalposition. In machines of this class in which the cutting apparatus islifted by the force of the operator the said force is exerted eitherexclusively by means of a hand operated lever, or during the first partof the lifting movement and into the height of the cut crop by means ofa foot operated lever whereupon the rocking movement into uprightposition is effected by means of a hand operated lever. The object oftheimprovements is to provide a mowing machine in which the cuttingapparatus is lifted and turned up into vertical position by'means of thefoot of the operator, so that the latter has at all times both handsfree for managing the team and for other operations. I am aware thatheretofore foot operated levers have been providedin mowing machines forcoupling the lifting mechanism of the cutting apparatus with a movablepart of the machine, in which case the cutting apparatus is raised bythe moving machine and the foot is used only for throwing the saidmachine into operation for actuating the lifting mechanism. As comparedto machines of this type my improved machine is preferable because it ismore simple in construction, and because the time which is necessary forlifting the cutting apparatus depends only on the force exerted by theoperator and not on the speed of the machine moving over the ground, sothat in case of obstacles the cutting apparatus can be lifted morerapidly and the mowing operation must be interrupted only a shortdistance before the said obstacle.

In my improved machine the foot operated member is so connected with thelifting mechanism that it is not at any time brought out of the reach ofthe operator or brought in such a position that the oper ator can noteasily manage the same with his feet, and on the other hand theconstruction is such that the Operator acts with his foot on the leverwith sufficient leverage to avoid excessive strain on the foot. For thisreason the foot lever is depressed in two successive stages, the foot ofthe operator performing in both stages the same path. In one embodimentof the invention a special foot lever is provided for each stroke of thelifting mechanism, and in the second embodiment a single foot leverwhich is returned prior to performing the second stroke into initialposition. In both embodiments means are provided for locking the cuttingapparatus in an intermediate position, and for returning the footoperated member into operative position after the cutting mechanism hasbeen brought into its lowermost position, even if it has been loweredfrom an intermediate position.

In order that my invention be more clearly understood two examplesembody-c ing the same have been shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich the same letters of reference have been used in all the views toindicate corresponding parts. In said drawings Figures 1 to 3, are sideviews of the machine in which two foot levers are provided for operatingthe lifting mechanism, Fig. 1 showing the lifting mechanism in normalposition in which the cutting apparatus is inits lowermost position orin position for mowing, 2, showing the parts in the intermediateposition, and Fig. 3, showing the same in the uppermost or upright position, i i

Fig. 4, is a plan view of the lifting mechanism shown in, Figs. 1 to 3,and

Figs. to 7, are side views similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 3 andshowing the lifting mechanism respectively in the positions in which thecutting mechanism is in the lowermost, the intermediate, and the upper-'most or upright positions.

Referring to the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4;, the cuttingapparatus (not shown) may be of any known or preferred construction,such for example as has been shown in the patent of the United States toJohnston and Benjamin, No. 57 8,404, dated March 9, 1897. It issuspended from an eye 11 of a rocking or lifting lever 12 which is '10,as is known inthe art.

mal or mowing position shown in Fig. 1

the foot support of the lever 1 is disposed in position for engagementby the foot of the operator, and it bears on a lug 8 secured to or madeintegral with the lifting lever 3;

By depressing the lifting lever from the position shown in Fig. 1 intothe position shown in Fig. 2 the lifting-lever is rocked, until a springlatch 4 mounted thereon engages at the rear of a shoulder 5 formed on arelatively fi-xed part of the machine, so that the lifting lever islocked in an intermediate po sition in which thecutting mechanism is inthe height of thecut crop. By rocking the lifting lever intointermediate positionthe second foot lever 2 is brought into positionfor engagement by the foot of the operator,

as is shown in Fig. 2. If it is desired to lift the cutting mechanismfarther upward and into vertical position, the operator places his footon the lever 2 and depresses the same so-as to rock the. lifting lever,3,'until the spring latch 4 engages at the rear of a second shoulder 6formed on the relatively fixed part of the frame 7. During this downwardmovement the foot lever 1 has not drop on the ground by throwing thespring latch 4 out of locking position by means of the foot lever 9,both foot levers 1 and 2- are returned into initial-positions, lever 1being again llfted from the frame 7 during the second par-t of thereturn movement by means of the h1g8. 'The cutting apparatus can also bedropped directly from'its position' above the crop byreleasing thespring-latch 4, whereby both foot levers 1 and 2 are brought fromthepositions shownin Fig. 2 into the position shown in Fig. 1;

in which a'single footoperatedlever'17 is I 5 provided for lifting thecutting apparatus into upright position. As shown the foot lever 17 ispivotally mounted on a liftin'glever 12which has a rocking support on; apivot bolt 13 secured tothemain frame 14. 'From art.

to whicha tension spring -21is attached." :In

the normal position the foot lever is located with its pedal in positionfor engagement by the foot of the operator. If it is depressed from thisposition and into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, it rocksthe lifting lever 12 until a spring actuated latch 18 engagesin a notch20 provided on the frame. Thereby the cutting apparatus is locked inposition above the cut crop. When being released by the operatorthe footlever is returned by the spring21 into initial position, while thelifting lever remains in locked-position The joint of the link 27 to thearm 22 is thereby brought into the straight line connectingthe points aand b, as is shown in Fig. 6. 'As the foot lever 17 is thus rocked intoinitial position the arm 22-is retracted from the lug 28 of the liftinglever and it is brought into engagement with a notch 24 of an arm 23which is pivotally mounted on the lifting lever.

If now the foot lever 17 isagain depressed,..

the lifting lever 12 is further rocked, the rocking movement of the footlever 17 on the lifting lever being prevented by its engagement with thearm 23. Thus the cut-' ting apparatus is turned up vertically, and

it is locked in this position by the spring latch 18 engaging in a'notch25, as is'shown in Fig. 7. a Inthis position of the parts the tension'ofthe lifting spring 21 is not suflicient any more to rock the foot lever-17 upward, so that the foot lever remains in its depressed position;

- In order to lower the cutting apparatus from upright positiondownward, the spring latch 18 is'thrown out of locking position bydepressing the foot lever 19,.so that the lifttion shown in Fig- 5.

ing lever=12 and the pivot bolt of the foot lever 17 are returned intothe initial posi- By-this movement the arm 23 is .disengaged from thenose of lever 22,-its end being engaged during the' retu'rn movementof-the parts by a stop 26 formed onthe link 27, so that the nose oflever 22 is 'released'from the notch 24' and bears again in the initialposition of the parts on the lug'28. hen lowering the cutting apparatusfrom 'itsposition above the cut crop, after g the foot lever 17 hasalready returned in the 7 In Flgs. 5 to 7 I have shown an example:

manner describeddnto initial-position, care must be taken that the footlever is not car ried along and "rocked farther upward.

When the link 27'.- returns. from the position shoWn-in Fig. 6 intotheposition shown in I I Fig. 5, the arm 23.:is retracted-bythe lug ":26from the arm .22. Therefore the arm 22 -isagain brought into engagementwith the stop 28 by thespring21. Therefore though the pivot boltof the.foot lever 17 movesuppressed in each position which can be assumed bythe cutting mechanism for some length of time.

An important feature of the example shown in Figs. to 7 consists in theconstruction whereby the foot lever after being first depressedautomatically returns into initial position in which it is again coupledto the lifting lever, and whereby it is automatically disconnected fromthe foot lever when the cutting apparatus is moved downward from itsposition above the cut crop.

While in describing the invention refer once has been made to twoexamples embodying the same, I wish it to be understood that myinvention is not limited to the examples shown in the drawings, and thatvarious changes may be made in the general arrangement of the parts andthe construction of the details without departing from my invention. Forexample the mechanism controlling the movement of the foot lever 17shown in Figs. 5 to 7 may be constructed in a different way.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. In a mowing machine, the combination with the frame, the seat of theoperator mounted thereon, and the cutting mechanism, of means forlifting the cutting mech anism, and means located in position foroperation by the foot of the operator for actuating the liftingmechanism for lifting the cutting mechanism from its lowermost or normalposition to its uppermost or upright position, said foot operated meanscomprising means for locking the lifting mechanism in an intermediateposition, a single foot operated member, means for coupling the footoperated member to the lifting mecha nism for operation in liftingdirection for moving the cutting mechanism first from lowermost ornormal position to intermediate position, means operative 'when thelift- "ing mechanism has been locked in intermediate position to returnthe foot lever into initial position, and means for again coupling thefoot lever to the lifting mechanism for moving the cutting mechanismfrom intermediate to uppermost position.

2. In a mowing machine, the combination with the frame, the seat of theoperator mounted thereon, and the cutting mechanism, of mechanism forlifting the cutting mechanism, and means located in position foroperation by the foot of the operator for actuating the liftingmechanism for lifting the cutting mechanism from its lowermost or normalposition to its uppermost or upright position, said foot operated meanscomprising means for locking the lifting mechanism in an intermediateposition, a single foot operated member, means for coupling the footoperated member to the lifting mechanism for operation in liftingdirection for moving the cutting mechanism first from lowermost ornormal. position to intermediate position, means operative when thelifting mechanism has been locked in intermediate position to return thefoot lever into initial position, means for again coupling the footlever to the lifting mechanism for moving the cutting mechanism fromintermediate to uppermost position, and means operative when the cuttingmechanism is being returned from uppermost into initial position todisconnect the foot operated member from said coupling means operativefor moving the cutting mechanism from intermediate position to uppermostposition.

3. In a mowing machine, the combination with the frame, the seat of theoperator mounted thereon, and the cutting mechanism, of mechanism forlifting the cutting mechanism, and means located in position foroperation by the foot of the operator for actuating the liftingmechanism for lifting the cutting mechanism from its lowermost or normalposition to its uppermost or upright position, said foot operated meanscomprising means for locking the lifting mechanism in an intermediateposition, a single foot operated lever jointed to the lifting mechanismand having an extension beyond its pivot adapted to engage the liftingmechanism for moving the cutting mechanism from initial or normalposition into intermediate position, a spring actuated link jointed tosaid extension and tending to return the foot operated lever whendepressed into initial position, a locking pawl connected with thelifting mechanism and located in position for locking engagement withsaid extension when the lifting mechanism is in intermediate position, alug on the link operative when the cutting mechanism is being returnedfrom uppermost or upright position to initial or normal position tothrow said pawl out of locking engagement with the extension.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IANN GEORG FAHR.

Witnesses:

MILO A. Jnwn'rr, J. C. MONALLY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

